


younger days

by surething



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Confessions, Getting Together, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Sort Of, Wingman Phichit Chulanont, also sort of, brief cameos of other characters lol, dumb gay nerds, phichit should get an award, the Room is where the central gossip happens, they are both Soft and Pretty, victor thinks yuuri is Soft, yuuri thinks victor is Pretty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-15 10:44:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11804418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/surething/pseuds/surething
Summary: phichit [11:38 AM]: before i give u the…official Best Friend Stamp of Approval though…phichit [11:38 AM]: …u gotta tell me why u like yuurivictor [11:39 AM]: lol easyphichit [11:42 AM]: still waiting on itphichit [11:46 AM]: still there bro?victor [11:49 AM]: ya waitvictor [11:50 AM]: i just emailed it to uphichit [11:52 AM]: this is a whole ass word documentor;Yuuri and Victor anonymously fanboy over each other in the Room, neither realizing the other's infatuation.





	younger days

**Author's Note:**

> asldfskjdfkls hi thanks for stopping by this is a product of me being tired, gay, and lonely lmao

Victor Nikiforov has a thing with Christophe Giacometti. Everyone knows that. It’s – it’s really okay, thinks Yuuri, dressed in his katsudon pajamas and covered in illegible physics notes. Phichit is snoring already and it’s past midnight. He throws the papers haphazardly on the floor. It’s okay.

It’s _not_ okay, decides 3 AM Katsuki Yuuri, a Hot Mess who can’t go to sleep because he can’t stop thinking about Victor and Chris, and their casual cheek kisses, hand-holding, and, oh god, the incessant ass-slapping. Victor does have a nice butt, probably muscled from working out (do you even lift, bro?). God fucking dammit, he thinks as his consciousness is fading, _this is the fourteenth night in a row I’ve fallen asleep to thoughts of Victor’s ass_.

* * *

 

“This is SO bad,” Yuuri shrieks as he shoves all of his notes into his bag. He’s late for class and he’s just gotten the worst email of his life.

Phichit sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. With his other hand, he throws Yuuri the pencil pouch that he’d found under his bed this morning. “You’ll be okay.”

“Victor. Is. Sitting. Right. Behind. Me.” Yuuri pokes a finger into Phichit’s chest with each word. “I’m going to kill Ciao Ciao for reassigning seats halfway through the year.”

“Dude, if he hasn’t noticed your massive gay crush on him yet, he’s probably not going to, ever.”

“You’re so mean,” Yuuri wails, face crumbling. “I know I’ve got no chance. He’s dating Chris, anyway.”

“Chris?” asks Phichit, startled. “Uh, Yuuri…”

“I’m not talking to you anymore. I’m going to be late.” Yuuri marches out the door with purpose.

“Yuuri, they’re not-“ Phichit starts, but doesn’t finish as the door slams. He presses his hands to his face and rubs at his eyes with force. “I can’t believe I’m friends with such a dumbass.”

When Yuuri gets to class, he’s pleased to find that Victor has not yet arrived. He’s never equipped to deal with Victor’s bright smile and pretty blue eyes, but early morning is perhaps the worst time. Trying to make himself look inconspicuous as possible, he takes out everything he’ll need for class and drags up the hood of his black sweatshirt so that it covers as much of his face as it can.

A laugh sounds in the distance. “Fuck,” swears Yuuri under his breath. It’s _him_. A quick peek up shows Victor arm in arm with Mila, The Childhood Friend. He quickly folds himself even smaller into his seat. A moment later, he hears Victor slide into the row behind him.

Yuuri tells himself he isn’t disappointed that he doesn’t get a greeting, and spends the whole class hyperaware of Victor’s presence.

After class, stomach growling, he runs himself to the café to get some morning sustenance, then heads back to the dorm.

“Don’t you have classes?” he asks scathingly to Phichit, who is still reclined on his bed, watching hamster videos. That’s all his BFFL (Best Friend For Life) seems to do nowadays.

“Not today,” Phichit replies, waving a hand. “Hey, wanna get lunch later?”

“At the cafeteria?”

“Duh.” Phichit rolls his eyes. “If I don’t use my credit it’ll go to waste. This place’s meal plans are trash, by the way.”

“Don’t I know it,” mutters Yuuri.

“So how was your first class with the new seating?” Phichit asks, pausing YouTube and sitting up cross-legged.

“He didn’t even say hi,” slips out by accident. Yuuri covers his mouth in shock. “I mean, it was fine. Nothing happened.”

Phichit takes a flying leap over to the other bed and smothers him in a hug. “Aww, Yuuri, it’ll be okay. We can go to the Room after lunch and you can write about it.”

Yuuri jerks away, mouth opened in a perfect O. “Wh-What? How do you know about the Room?”

“I’m almost offended you never told me. So that’s what you were doing when you said you were studying.”

“How did you _know_?” Yuuri taps his fingers on his bedsheets in an anxious rhythm.

“First of all, you’re the only one who writes in glittery pink gel pen. And second, you’re the only one who writes about Victor Nikiforov like that. And third of all, Yuuri, I know you.”

“Fair,” acquiesces Yuuri after thinking about it for a while. “But everyone writes about Victor like that.”

Phichit smiles amusedly to himself. No, he thinks. No one writes about Victor quite like Yuuri.

* * *

 

The Room is an unused study room in the library. Walls are covered in colorful gossip and comfy bean-bags line the walls. The university administration has given up on trying to stop the unending tide of colorful marker, sharpie, and pen on the walls, and every year it gets painted over by some charitable student devoted to making sure the Room never dies.

Yuuri has been using it since August to scribble out his affections for Victor Nikiforov, and there’s an entire quarter of a wall dedicated to him. He’s also added a “HARD AGREE” in glitter pink to every single positive comment about the local pretty boy. His anonymous status as the biggest fan of Victor Nikiforov ever is famous throughout their university.

**LOL victors fan is really going wild this week**

**seriously victor isn’t even that gorgeous whos the one in pink that keeps fangirling**

(Yuuri had angrily written a retort below the second one. No one calls Victor “not even that gorgeous” and gets away with it, not on his watch.)

But he’s never seen a line about himself, his real self, Katsuki Yuuri, besides Phichit’s occasional “omg yuuri is so hot i wish he’d marry me ladies have u SEEN that hot bod.” No one else would write about him like that other than his best friend, and he’s seen Phichit use the standard black sharpie they’re written in.

Below Phichit’s comments are usually things like “its spelled with one u” and “i know right ughh his green eyes are so pretty he’s like a fairy tbh.”

“So, what are you going to write today?”

Yuuri blushes furiously. “It’s hard when someone’s watching.” He finishes up the message just as he hears footsteps approaching. “Quick, Phichit, we have to go!” Shoving the pen into his pockets, he pulls the sweatshirt hood back over his head and pulls Phichit out the door and around the corner, cursing himself for forgetting to lock the door.

His heartbeat settles. “…you have to see this, Victor. Someone’s been writing about you for _months_ ,” a voice rings from behind them. It’s Chris. The pounding of his heart picks up again.

Yuuri freezes in his tracks. “Oh _shit_ ,” he whispers. “This is so embarrassing.” But he can’t bring himself to stop overhearing their conversation and he tugs on Phichit’s sleeve as Chris and Victor disappear into the Room.

They creep back and get just close enough to the door so that they can hear the conversation. Yuuri curses the fact that there are no windows.

“Chris, I know. I’ve seen these.”

“Have you read all of them?”

“…yeah.”

“He’s going to think I’m a creep!” panics Yuuri in a hurried whisper, soundlessly motioning at Phichit, who tries, to the best of his ability, to calm him down.

“It’s cute, isn’t it?” Chris says, probably furious that someone’s fantasizing about his boyfriend.

“But it’s not…you know.”

“Who knows? It could be.”

Yuuri shakes his head, trying to clear up the confusion. Who and what the hell are they talking about now?

“Oh, this one’s new!” Chris bubbles, reading it out loud much to Yuuri’s consternation. “I saw him today and he didn’t notice me, but it was enough just to sit near him.”

“If they’d just tell me their name, I’d notice them,” mutters Victor quietly.

Phichit elbows Yuuri.

“ _No_ ,” Yuuri says, through gritted teeth, as quietly as he can.

There’s the unmistakable sound of someone uncapping a pen.

“Oh, you’re going to write something?”

Victor replies but neither of them catch what he says.

As soon as they hear more footsteps, the two of them bolt just in time for the opening of the door. Yuuri glares at Chris’s arm, slung across Victor’s shoulders, and marches right back into the Room as soon as they disappear into the distance.

“How’re you going to find what he wrote?”

“I have to,” asserts Yuuri with conviction, wiping his index finger over all the old messages until he finally finds one that smudges with wet ink. It’s black sharpie, right under that comment about Yuri Plisetsky’s eyes.

**lmao what are you talking about his eyes are brown but i agree, they’re rather pretty**

Right next to that:

**i said what i said its yuuri not yuri**

“Oh…my…god,” says Phichit.

“Don’t pretend like you’re surprised,” Yuuri snaps back. “When did you have the time to write these? I was with you the whole time.”

“What? I didn’t write these. Victor just did.”

“No, I need to keep looking for what he wrote, but I do appreciate you sticking up for me.”

“I…didn’t…write them?” Phichit says confusedly, but Yuuri’s already moved on down the walls. “I just read them, dude. Never written a thing.” He catches up with Yuuri.

“I can’t find it,” says Yuuri sadly, running a hand through his messy hair. It doesn’t lie down flat in the mornings, so he usually just gives up. “That’s too bad. Let’s go, Phichit.”

“That was him, though.”

“It’s okay, Phichit. You don’t need to try and make me feel better.” With that, Yuuri drags Phichit out of the room, stewing in a mixture of denial and of-course-he-wouldn’t-like-me-who-would-like-me-anyway.

* * *

 

On Wednesday, Victor greets him with a cheerful hello, and all he does is blush and hide his face. He’s so startled that he forgets to say something back.

Still, though, for reasons Yuuri can’t fathom, Victor says hi the next day, and the day after that. He finally gets the confidence to greet Victor back on Friday.

“Uh…hey, Victor.”

“You know my name?” Victor beams, face lighting up like a Christmas tree.

 _Just friendly_ , Yuuri reminds himself. _Don’t scare him away_.

“Yeah, of course. I mean, everyone does.”

“And you’re Yuuri!” He draws out the u sound in a way that makes Yuuri shiver.

“Yes.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you for a couple days now…but…” for a moment, Yuuri imagines the worst, “can I borrow a pen?”

“O-oh,” says Yuuri, visibly surprised. “Well yeah, you didn’t have to ask me.” He unzips his pencil pouch and picks out a black ballpoint pen. “Here.”

Victor stares at it indecipherably, smile flattening out. “Thanks.”

Yuuri turns away and covers his face. He just had a conversation – a normal conversation – with Victor Nikiforov. Jesus Christ. He is so going to the Room later.

Victor returns the pen after class with a smile, and leaves immediately after with Mila, laughing.

“Don’t get your hopes up,” he mutters to himself, packing up his laptop and a couple pieces of paper.

* * *

 

 **phichit [11:04 AM]:** hey lol ur victor right

 **victor [11:05 AM]:** ya

 **phichit [11:05 AM]:** ur not surprised i have ur number?

 **victor [11:07 AM]:** nah lol chris gives it to anyone that asks

 **phichit [11:07 AM]:** oh. well i’m phichit chulanont

 **phichit [11:07 AM]:** anyways i have a question

 **phichit [11:07 AM]:** be honest w me here…

 **phichit [11:08 AM]:** …what do u think of yuuri

 **victor [11:11: AM]:** yuuri katsuki? ur bff?

 **phichit [11:11 AM]:** 11:11 make a wish!!!! and ya that’s the one

 **victor [11:15 AM]:** he’s nice i guess

 **phichit [11:15 AM]:** be HONEST

 **phichit [11:15 AM]:** i know u were the one writing abt him in the Room

 **victor [11:15 AM]:**????????

 **phichit [11:16 AM]:** saw u go in lol

 **victor [11:16 AM]:** did u tell him i like him???????

 **victor [11:16 AM]:** u cant

 **victor [11:16 AM]:** pls dont

 **phichit [11:17 AM]:** ASLKDFJDKFJ YES

 **phichit [11:17 AM]:** im screaming

 **phichit [11:17 AM]:** i feel like christmas has come early

 **victor [11:18 AM]:** u cant tell him i think he hates me

 **phichit [11:18 AM]:** uhhh…why?

 **victor [11:20 AM]:** he pulls up his hood whenever i come into class and when i said hi he didn’t say hi back and he never smiles at me idk??? i just think he hates me

 **phichit [11:20 AM]:** …

 **phichit [11:20 AM]:** he definitely doesn’t hate u

 **victor [11:21 AM]:** that’s a start i guess

 **phichit [11:21 AM]:** he thinks u and chris are dating

 **victor [11:21 AM]:** FUCK

 **phichit [11:21 AM]:** yeah

 **victor [11:22 AM]:** hold on

 **victor [11:37 AM]:** i just “broke up” with chris really loudly in the quad

 **victor [11:37 AM]:** everyone will know by tonight lol

 **phichit [11:38 AM]:** adfksdjfsdkjfkd ur so extra but i approve

 **phichit [11:38 AM]:** before i give u the…official Best Friend Stamp of Approval though…

 **phichit [11:38 AM]:** …u gotta tell me why u like yuuri

 **victor [11:39 AM]:** lol easy

 **phichit [11:42 AM]:** still waiting on it

 **phichit [11:46 AM]:** still there bro?

 **victor [11:49 AM]:** ya wait

 **victor [11:50 AM]:** i just emailed it to u

 **phichit [11:52 AM]:** this is a whole ass word document

 **victor [11:52 AM]:** is that bad?

 **phichit [11:54 AM]:** no this is SO SWEET ok ur officially approved

 **phichit [11:55 AM]:** yuuri’s gonna cry when i show this to him

 **victor [11:55 AM]:** DON’T

 **phichit [11:56 AM]:** relax

 **phichit [11:56 AM]:** after u guys get together

 **victor [11:57 AM]:** are u sure he doesn’t hate me?

 **phichit [11:58 AM]:** just ask him

 **phichit [11:58 AM]:** don’t forget to film his reaction  

 **victor [11:59 AM]:** k

 **phichit [12:03 PM]:** uhhhh victor did he really grind on u at a frat party?

 **victor [12:07 PM]:** haHA who knows

 **phichit [12:07 PM]:** …victor

 **victor [12:07 PM]:** im really sorry if that made him feel uncomfortable

 **victor [12:07 PM]:** and if you don’t want me to go near him again or

 **phichit [12:07 PM]:** omg no i was just gonna ask for pics

 **victor [12:07 PM]:** if u want me to ask ciao ciao to switch seats i can do that

 **victor [12:08 PM]:** oh

 **victor [12:09 PM]:** oh

 **victor [12:12 PM]:** here [slideshow attachment]

 **phichit [12:15 PM]:** fffffffff lmao thanks victor i owe u one

 **victor [12:15 PM]:** np

“He doesn’t remember it,” mutters Phichit as he scrolls through the photos an hour later. It’s true – Yuuri definitely has no inkling of his wild night out, since he doesn’t even remember saying two words to Victor before switching seats. “Sucks for Victor, I guess.”

Phichit looks up from his phone as Yuuri trudges into their dorm room, swinging his bag from his left hand.

“Lunch?”

“Yeah.” Phichit slips his phone into his pocket, his text conversation with Victor Nikiforov burning a hole through the fabric. As Yuuri throws his stuff on his bed, Phichit wonders how to break the news.

“Let’s go.”

They slip through the door and hurry down the hall. “Hey, did you hear?” Phichit starts casually.

“Hear what? And Chipotle?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Hear what?” Yuuri repeats.

“Victor and Chris broke up.”

“Oh no!”

“Better for you, right?”

Yuuri waves his arms in an x-shape in front of his face. “I don’t want him to be upset…and you know I don’t have a chance with _him_.”

“With who?” a voice smoothly slides in from behind.

A startled shriek tears its way from Yuuri’s throat. “Oh my God.”

“Oops, sorry Yuuri,” Victor Nikiforov says, casually slinging an arm around his shoulders, eliciting another surprised gasp. “Hey Phichit. Saw you guys across the quad and had to catch up.”

“We were just talking about how you and Chris broke up.” Phichit winces as Yuuri elbows him in the side harshly.

“Don’t be _rude_!” Yuuri hisses into Phichit’s ear.

“Oh, that. Yeah, we’re just friends.” Phichit almost lets his laughter bubble over; Victor can at least try and pretend to look upset.

“So…you’re not like…sad, or anything?” Yuuri asks shyly, peeking out from under his mess of hair. Victor swoons.

“No. He and I both know that my big gay crush is on someone else.”

“O-Oh,” mumbles Yuuri, fingers twisting together. “I hope you and that person get together soon, then.”

“Me too.”

“Me three!” chirps Phichit.

“Anyways, I’m meeting Mila and Plisetsky for lunch so I’m going to head out. See ya!”

Yuuri lets out a visible sigh of relief as the man himself walks away. His heart is still doing backflips in his chest, and he’s surprised his entire body is not the shade of Phichit’s favorite lipstick. Sort of feels like he’s been hit by a whirlwind.  

“Get with him,” Phichit says, straight-faced.

“Did you even hear him?” Yuuri yelps furiously. “He likes someone!”

“It could be you.”

“It can’t be me! Everyone likes him, he goes to parties, and he probably models for Calvin Klein. I have about one friend, stress-eat, and spend all my time studying!”

Phichit sighs, and drops the subject. He knows his best friend won’t be the one to make the first move. No matter how much evidence there is, how much Victor throws him hints, Yuuri won’t take them unless Victor yells his confession right in his face.

Looks like he’ll have to get back to pestering Victor over text.

* * *

 

It’s been two more weeks of zero action. Phichit knows this because Victor still texts him every single day (“phichit yuuri said hello today instead of hi do u think im being too formal” “i couldn’t even start a conversation with him fsldjfkdjfkj”), and Yuuri still confides in him every day (“Victor’s eyes are so blue, you don’t even understand. Sometimes he goes commando in our morning class and he thinks no one notices, but _I_ notice.”).

Phichit knows that it’s silly, but he wants them to get together as soon as possible. Why waste time mutually pining if _he_ knows that they both like each other?

 **phichit [8:44 AM]:** hey nikiforov

 **phichit [8:44 AM]:** so i’ve been thinking and

 **victor [8:44 AM]:** sldfksdfwieor23o9

 **phichit [8:44 AM]:** u should ask yuuri out

 **victor [8:45 AM]:** what???!! !312121

 **phichit [8:46 AM]:** oh so now ur awake

 **phichit [8:46 AM]:** i said what i said

 **victor [8:48 AM]:** u didn’t tell him…did u?

 **phichit [8:49 AM]:** lol no but he’d never make the first move

 **phichit [8:49 AM]:** he’s really shy and has bad social anxiety and is really self-deprecating

 **phichit [8:49 AM]:** he just needs a push, trust me

 **victor [8:52 AM]:** so he does like me?

 **phichit [8:53 AM]:** i can’t say. but i think u should go for it

Phichit looks over guiltily at the other bed, where Yuuri has started shifting. The buzzing of his phone is loud in the silence, and he mutes it quickly.

“Is it…time? Yuuri slurs in his half-awake half-asleep voice.

“No, go back to sleep. You got another couple of hours.”

“’Kay.”

He watches Yuuri sleep fondly for a few minutes before turning his attention back to his phone.

 **victor [8:54 AM]:** so…i have a question

 **victor [8:54 AM]:** does yuuri own a hot pink gel pen? glittery and stuff?

 **victor [8:56 AM]:** phichit?

 **phichit [8:59 AM]:** oh ur talking abt the fan from the Room

 **victor [9:00 AM]:** …yeah

 **phichit [9:01 AM]:** u wanna know if yuuri’s the fan?

 **victor [9:03 AM]:** yeah

 **victor [9:03 AM]:** i get it if it’s info u cant disclose

 **phichit [9:05 AM]:** ur right, i cant say. itd be more fun if u just figured out who they are on ur own

 **victor [9:06 AM]:** im afraid that it wont be yuuri though

 **victor [9:06 AM]:** they sound really sweet and nice but id turn them down for him

 **phichit [9:07 AM]:** sounds like a tough dilemma

 **victor [9:10 AM]:** lol thx

Phichit turns off his phone after Victor doesn’t say anything more, and plugs it back into his charger. He just wants the best for his best friend, really, but despite all of his social prowess and effervescent energy, he has no idea what to do. Afraid of overmanaging this potential relationship, he’s also worried that if he doesn’t step in, nothing will happen, because he _knows_ that Victor is good for Yuuri. The boy’s been in love with Victor for two years, and judging from Victor’s essay on Why Yuuri Is Amazing, so has Victor himself.

He’ll give it another week, he decides. One more week, then he’ll say something to someone.

* * *

 

Yuuri tugs on his BFFL’s arm. Ex-BFFL. If Phichit doesn’t wake up, he can say goodbye to his Yuuri Katsuki VIP friend spot. But that’d be sad, because Yuuri would have no friends.

“Phichit!” he practically roars, sound echoing in their small room.

“God fucking…” Phichit mutters and cracks open one eye. “What is it, Yuuri?”

Yuuri practically melts in relief. “Thank God, I know it’s like 4 AM, but I’m going to ask Victor Nikiforov out today – I’ve just decided – and I need your help.”

Yelping, Phichit sits up, knocking his head against Yuuri’s by accident. “Way to drop a bomb on me!”

“Yeah, I know, I just decided. I’ve been thinking about it since last night.”

“I was so close to just telling him for you, I swear. In another two days…”

“You wouldn’t.” Yuuri narrows his eyes.

“I wouldn’t. But I’d do _something_.”

“Like what? Throw some ideas at me.”

“It’s 4 AM, Yuuri, wait until I’m awake please.”

“If it doesn’t work I’m going to drop out of school and never show my face in public again, but yeah.”

Phichit doesn’t look too worried, for some reason. “Yuuri, please.”

“He reads the Room stuff, right? Can I just leave my number and a ‘hey go out with me I think you’re really hot and cool and I love you’?”

“Wow, you move fast.”

“I’ll take out the love part.”

Phichit gives a weak thumbs-up then collapses back in bed. “Goodnight Yuuri, _go to sleep._ ”

Yuuri sniffs, fully affronted. “Okay, Phichit. Good _morning_.”

* * *

 

Before he loses his nerve, Yuuri runs to the Room before class. He absolutely cannot do it after he’s already seen Victor’s face. It’s fine, isn’t it? The class he has with Victor is just something he’d picked up for extra credit (and to, you know, be in a class with his long-time crush), so he can full-time avoid Victor if need be.

“You got this, you got this, you got this,” he says to himself. He’d insisted on coming alone.

Quickly, he pulls out his signature gel pen and scribbles:

**hey if ur victor nikiforov and ur reading this, i think ur pretty cool hmu here at two pm tomorrow? ??**

If he really gets anxious about it, the worst he can do is stand Victor up. But Victor won’t know that the gel-pen fanboy is him, and Yuuri is willing to carry that secret to the grave.

He slides into his seat in class with a couple minutes to spare, noting the familiar head of silver hair already seated behind him.

“Hey Victor,” he greets, feeling braver today than usual (maybe because he’s been running on no sleep for the last three days).

Victor raises his eyebrows. _Oh no, he’s hot_ , thinks Yuuri.

“Hi Yuuri. Talking to me first today?”

Yuuri shrugs. “Yeah, I guess.”

Ciao Ciao bangs his hands on the podium like a judge using a gavel. Victor drops his head in his hands, looking vaguely disappointed. “Talk to you later,” he says, turning his attention to his laptop.

“Yeah,” whispers Yuuri, almost dazed. ‘Later’ is a promise word. He likes that. And if Yuuri has a say about it, Victor will be talking to him later at 2 PM the next day.

* * *

 

“Phichit!” Victor bellows from across the quad.

“What?!” Phichit screams back, drawing all eyes to their conversation.

“Come over here!”

Phichit sighs. He had been on his way to meet Yuuri, who needs a pep talk for his 2 PM meeting today. It’s 11 AM.

“This better be good, Nikiforov,” he grumbles as he picks his way across the lawn.

“Okay,” starts Victor conspiratorially. “I’m going to ask Yuuri out today, and you have to help me. I’ve already asked Chris to help too.”

Phichit crosses his arms and looks at him through narrowed eyes. “You haven’t been in the Room in the last two days, have you?”

“No, I haven’t had time to worry about Gel-Pen Person! I’ve been trying to plan this.”

“Explain your plan?”

“I’m going to paint over everything on the wall and paint ‘Yuuri Go Out with Me’ in rainbow colors for the Gays. Chris is up there with the paint already.” Victor motions with his hands as he talks, seeming animated, but definitely nervous. “I need you to bring Yuuri there at 2 PM, so I have some time to paint. But you can’t let him come before.”

Phichit almost wants to start cracking up in the middle of their conversation, but restrains himself. “Sure thing, dude.”

“You think it’s going to go well?” Victor asks, blue eyes peering at him anxiously.

“Yeah, sure. Good luck, Victor.”

He walks away, hands gripping the strap of his bag. Victor has just delivered him the best news he’s heard all year. All of this means that he is free of responsibility – no making sure Victor doesn’t fuck up and not show up, no making sure that Yuuri doesn’t misinterpret every answer that Victor gives him…

Plus, if they leave the door open, he can videotape the whole thing. Karma, baby. He’s done enough for his friends; it’s time to sit back and watch everything unfold.

* * *

 

Victor’s still putting finishing touches with the painting by the time a knock sounds on the door. He’s locked it for maximum dramatic effect. Although he’s rather known for being over the top and sentimental, Victor is 200% scared of Yuuri’s reaction. Is it too much? Does Yuuri actually hate him? (Phichit had said no, but who knows, right?)

Quickly, he smears the last bit of purple paint onto the rainbow, and shoves the cans of paint underneath a stack of bean-bags. Standing back to admire his work for a moment, he notes that he hadn’t been able to cover up Gel-Pen Person’s writing. It would have seemed…too disrespectful for someone who likes him so much.

“Coming!” he says as the knocks grow in intensity, trying to sound casual but wincing at the gravelly tone of his voice.

He unlocks the door and pulls it open, dragging Yuuri in before he has a chance to chicken out and slam the door closed.

“Hey, Yuuri,” he says breathlessly, suddenly unsure of what he’s supposed to do. Does he get on one knee? No, that’s too much, even for him. Just…casually ask him out on a date? Kiss him?

“Uh…” Yuuri says, eyes widening at the wall before him. “Who did this? Is this a joke?”

“I did-“

“So…” Yuuri cuts Victor off, “...we can work out who tried to prank me later, but you’re probably waiting for that guy,” he points at the hot pink writing still visible, “and, well, I’m…it might be a surprise to hear but…” He trails off, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

“No, Yuuri, why would I be waiting for him?” Victor is so, so confused. Yuuri doesn’t seem to understand that it’s not a joke and Victor has done all of this for _him_ , the literal love of his life. “I’m waiting for you.”

“But,” Yuuri replies, tilting his head awkwardly, “I’m him.”

“What?”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to say.” He marches over to the writing and points at the newest entry.

“…hit me up at 2 PM tomorrow?” Victor gasps. “It’s 2 PM right now! Oh my god!”

Yuuri stares at Victor like he’s stupid. “Yeah. It is.”

“So, where is he?”

“Don’t make me repeat it,” mutters Yuuri, face suddenly flushes. “Last time, Nikiforov, okay? It was me.”

Victor’s eyes widen in shock, and he slowly raises a quivering finger to point at the boy across from him. “It was you? All this time? About _me_?”

“I _said_ don’t make me repeat it.”

“Is this a confession, Yuuri?” Victor says, hopping excitedly from one foot to another like a five-year-old.

“I guess.” Yuuri digs his fingers into the sleeves of his hoodie, adjusting it nervously. “B-But…you can ignore it and we can go back to pretending like we’re not acquaintances. If you want.”

Victor grabs Yuuri by the shoulders, internally freaking out at every single way this has gone wrong. “No, look! I painted this for you, Yuuri. I like you. A lot. Do you want to, I don’t know, go out with me sometime?”

“You…want what with me? You…like me? You painted that for me?” Yuuri’s eyes narrow unbelievingly. “Are you, like, sure? I’m me. You’re going to regret it.”

“I won’t, I promise.”

Sinking down into a squat, Yuuri holds his head in his hands and lets out a relieved laugh. “Oh my god. Oh my fucking god. Victor Nikiforov just asked me out.”

“He did!” chirps Victor. “And I just found out Gel-Pen Person and my crush of two years are the same boy!”

Yuuri raises his head at that, face opening like a flower. “You what? You liked me for two years? But we hadn’t even spoken to each other until Ciao Ciao’s class, and that was this year!”

A frown creeps across Victor’s face. “Don’t you remember?”

“Remember what?”

Victor’s frown erupts into a series of chuckles, which he tries his best to muffle behind his hands. “Never mind, Yuuri. It looks like we have a lot of talking to do. You have a class soon?”

“Nope, I’m free for the rest of the day.” Yuuri shoots him a gentle smile, which has Victor’s heart going crazy.

He grabs Yuuri’s hands with his own paint-stained ones and pulls him out of the Room, ‘YUURI GO OUT WITH ME’ still on full display. “Okay, Yuuri! We’re going to have the best first date ever!” He smiles fondly down at the boy who still makes his head pound and stomach dance with butterflies, even after two years, and wonders how he got so lucky.

**Author's Note:**

> victor: hey yuuri what's ur squat workout spill di tea


End file.
